Saugus Karate Kung Fu offers anti-bullying classes

Friday

Any Saugus school-age student is welcome to sign up for a free week of classes this month at Saugus Karate Kung Fu designed to foster bullying prevention strategies and leadership skills.

Saugus Karate Kung Fu owner Jason Scaduto is once again offering up to three free classes for Saugus residents between the ages of 4 1/2 and 17.

The School Committee has endorsed Saugus Karate Kung Fu to offer this anti-bullying training for Saugus Public Schools students in October, which is bullying prevention awareness month.

Instructors will discuss conflict resolution skills and techniques that encourage those in the class to be confident if confronted with bullying, Scaduto said.

At Saugus Karate Kung Fu, physical confrontation is taught as the last resort when conflict arises.

“Our goal is for [students] to win a fight without fighting,” Scaduto said.

The Saugus Karate Kung Fu free classes will begin with mat work during which instructors talk about bullying prevention strategies. Youths are encouraged to ask questions throughout the hour-long sessions.

Scaduto believes there is more of a need now than ever for youths to understand how to cope with bullying. Social media platforms present a host of challenges, he stressed.

“When I was a kid and someone had a problem with a bully, it ended Friday when the bell rang and you didn’t have to worry about it until Monday morning,” Scaduto said. “There is no relief now for kids with Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and other social media.”

Saugus Karate Kung Fu instructors teach kids how to stand up for themselves. That might mean telling someone who is bullying a person to knock it off, Scaduto said.

Those taking the Saugus Karate Kung Fu classes are advised that it’s OK to report bullying behavior. Kids need to know that if something untoward is going on reporting the incident doesn’t make them a tattletale, Scaduto said.

Scaduto shared the sobering statistic that one in four school-age children have been bullied. Every seven seconds a child is bullied in the United States, he said.

Bullying has been identified as a leading cause for teenage suicide, Scaduto pointed out.

In the classes instructors drive home the importance of youths not engaging in bullying behavior.

“Eighty-five percent of bullies have been bullied at some point,” Scaduto said. “It’s a terrible pattern that keeps repeating itself.”

About 50 Saugus students signed up for the free classes last year. Some kids didn’t have any issues with bullying and wanted to try a free week of karate, while others wanted to talk about their personal experiences, Scaduto said.

“Whatever I can do to help someone, I will do it,” Scaduto said.

The free children’s classes for ages 4 1/2 to 11 are available in October on Mondays at 3:45 p.m., on Thursdays at 4 p.m. and on Saturdays at 10 a.m. The classes for ages 11 1/2 to 17 are on Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m.

To sign up for the free classes or for more information, call 781-233-9791 or email sauguskarate@gmail.com.